Chapter 19 (2/2)
While saying that, Kyousuke happened to look at the pamphlet Tsubaki hold, he then took it from her hand and start reading it.
“Still, they pick a wrong singer for the Prince’s role. Even though there are better singers out there for the role, what a letdown.” (Kyousuke)
[Agree. He would be out of place when he stands beside the singer of the Princess’ role.] (Leon)
Heard what Leon said, Kyousuke raised his face and stare at Leon. Same with Kyousuke, Leon was also staring at Kyousuke.
In that instant, as if they had come to some understanding, the two gave a big nod to each other at the same time and share their PC’s email address that they wrote at a piece of paper.
What? What just happened at that moment you two were looking at each other? Tsubaki could only stare in wonder toward Kyousuke and Leon.
Incidentally, Tsubaki didn’t have a PC so she was stuck with receiving Leon’s handwritten letters.
While Kyousuke and Leon were having a heated conversation about the opera, Tsubaki told the two of them that it was almost time for the performance to start. However, after seeing that Kyousuke and Leon still wanted to talk more, Tsubaki pulls Kyousuke away from Leon and get to their seats.
“Kyousuke-san, that was quite unusual of you to talk a lot like that toward a person you meet for the first time.” (Tsubaki)
“Well, he’s Yakumo’s cousin and you also talked to him casually so I think he’s not a bad person. What’s more, we have similar tastes in the arts. I guess that’s why.” (Kyousuke)
“Glad to know you can get along with him.” (Tsubaki)
Tsubaki believes it might be because Kyousuke had that basis that says he could trust Leon, that’s why he could talk to Leon so openly like that.
After that, Haruki got to his seat at the last minute where the curtain was almost raised.
Heard Tsubaki’s complaints, Haruki could only let out a bitter laugh and gave an excuse to Tsubaki that he got caught by a person who likes to talk too much. While Kyousuke, who was seated beside Haruki, have mixed feelings about his father’s late arrival.
And several minutes after the opera started, Tsubaki started to regret coming here.
Since she’s in a foreign country, naturally the song was in a foreign language as well. There was an electronic notice board that translates the song into English, however since it took time for Tsubaki to translate what was written in there into Japanese, she didn’t have time to enjoy the song at all.
Tsubaki gave up in translating what was written on the electronic notice board and decided to just listen to the song, however it was too late as the song was almost ended and she regretted in wasting her time in trying to understand the song’s lyrics.
The next day, they bid farewell to Monaco and headed for their next destination, France.
The place they arrived not an urban city, but a peaceful rural town with detached houses on the spacious ground.
Even though it was a rural town, it was not far from Paris as it only took travel time less than an hour so there wasn’t any inconvenience.
It seems like at the time her grandparents were married, they move to France to start a business of Japanese supermarkets, Japanese food restaurants, and also making Japanese vegetable cuisine and selling it at various places and each of these businesses was growing in scale each year.
Even if he had promised to double the scale of the company, he did a dishonorable act while he still had the company in Japan, and because of that, no company wants to do any business dealings with him. Thus her grandparents move to France.
Then, when his successor, Haruki, had reached four years old, and around that same time the company had reached double of its scale, just like what he had promised, he decided it’s time to return to their home country, Japan.
The fate of a single woman had been distorted by her grandparents’ selfishness, there’s no excuse or place for any justification on that. And what’s more, the consequence has come biting back at their children and grandchildren.
One week since arrived in France, Kyousuke has enjoyed his peaceful Hikikomori life even here.
But because there were not many people around town, Tsubaki succeeded in convinced Kyousuke to go outside to have a stroll every after breakfast.
And also, the time Tsubaki and Kyousuke getting called by the local uncles and aunties, who were doing farm work, every time they go for a stroll every morning keeps getting increased.
Even if I can’t speak French, we can still convey our message through the change of our mood and body language, thought Tsubaki as she kept receiving a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmers until her arms full.
“How come when they have a conversation with you it was always so lively than me where I can speak French?” (Kyousuke)
Tsubaki was looking at Kyousuke, who had a face that said he didn’t get it at all, with a sidelong glance while taking a bite of fresh tomato.
As mentioned above, Mizushima has an associated company in France so her uncle was busy with socializing with people here and there.
Tsubaki also started getting bored of always stay at home.
She had tried to invite Kyousuke to go out somewhere but he turned her down so she decided to go to Paris for shopping/meet up with Anna while accompanied by Miyamura.
She made this decision after hearing that Anna was spending her summer vacation in Paris.
After she finished bought souvenirs for her parents and little sister, Tsubaki headed toward the hotel that Anna had stayed and met up with her.
Entering a cafe near the hotel, the two then started order sweets and started their girls talk.
There Tsubaki told Anna about how Kyousuke and Leon were hit off each other so well at the opera house in Monaco.
“Hmmm… that Leo and Mizushima-sama, huh.” (Anna)
“At first I thought it won’t go out well, seeing how similar those are. It was still surprising to me” (Tsubaki)
“Mizushima-sama already used in handling your weird behaviors after all. In a sense, he’s somewhat more mature if compared with Leo.” (Anna)
Heard Anna’s rude remark, Tsubaki started pouting.
Tsubaki wished Anna to at least overlook the frolicking of a member of society who is freed from social ties.
“By the way Tsubaki, have you finished summer homework?” (Anna)
“Yes. What left is Art and Craft.” (Tsubaki)
“Have you decided what you want to make yet? My father’s a potter so I plan to make a teacup.” (Anna)
“Wow, zero cost material, how envious. I plan to make a saving box using milk bottle, cover the body with clay and then stick some seashells around it.” (Tsubaki)
“Ahh~ we make those huh~ we do make those before~” (Anna)
“Incidentally, the materials would be seashells that I gather on a beach in Monaco and beads that I bought in Paris.” (Tsubaki)
“Somehow, it suddenly sounds like a waste of money.” (Anna)
Since her father had a workshop at home for pottery, there wouldn’t be any trouble for Anna in making a teacup.
About the seashells Tsubaki gathers on a beach in Monaco, actually, some of her seashells were also gathered by Kyousuke.
Knowing that Tsubaki will use the seashells for Art and Craft, he secretly gathered the seashells on the beach– of course, he was followed by a guard.
Tsubaki knows about this when she was counting her seashells in the hotel.
“I just happen to discover these seashells when I was strolling around the beach. Here, for you.” (Kyousuke)
After saying that, Kyousuke then grabbed her arms and put a lot of seashells on top of her hands.
Knowing well his character, Tsubaki can tell Kyousuke was gathering the seashells for her. She then accepts the seashells and said her gratitude to him
Because there was a considerable amount of seashells when included with the seashells Kyousuke gathered, Tsubaki decided to make a picture frame with the leftover and present it to Kyousuke later.
“Have you bought some souvenirs already?” (Anna)
Asked Anna as she was looking at the paper bag and a box Tsubaki hold.
While Tsubaki was thinking about the design for the picture frame, she went back to her senses when Anna talked to her.
“More or less. From the souvenirs I bought, most of it for Suu-san after all.” (Tsubaki)
“…. Kigurumi, you want to put it on her right?” (Anna)
“Of course. It would suit Suu-san really well.” (Tsubaki)
“Nee, could you stop with that pet name? It somehow reminds me of a certain fish lover so, please? (Anna)
You could at least let me call her whatever I want, thought Tsubaki angrily but, after she noticed Anna was looking at her with cold eyes she immediately change the way she calls her little sister back to normal.
After that, they have a long conversation, and then Tsubaki realized it was time for her to go home when Miyamura informed her.
The tea she drinks was so delicious that she bought a bunch of the tea leaf at the shop next to the cafe, and after satisfied with it they return home.
And in the home, Kyousuke who was having enough of boredom was sitting on top of the sofa grasping his knees, the very position he took when he was sulking.
There’s nothing better than sweets to put a sulking kid back to a good mood, thought Tsubaki as she took out the Macaroons and the Éclairs that she bought from a famous shop in Paris. When Kyousuke sees what Tsubaki was presented to him, the color on his eyes changes.
Even while he complaints about this and that to Tsubaki, his hands didn’t stop moving the sweets to his mouth at all.
What’s more, seems pleased with the sweets, Kyousuke immediately asked Tsubaki about the place she bought the sweet, of course, she tells him the location of the shop, and then he ordered her to go to that shop together with him to buy more.
The rest of the time for her vacation in Paris was spent on go buying sweets together with Kyousuke, touring around Paris together with Anna. And around the middle of August, Tsubaki’s first vacation overseas come to an end.
When she arrived home, her parents’ first reaction when seeing her was “There’s so sunburn!?”
Even when she was in Monaco and Paris, she spends most of her time in the hotel and inside their house in Paris, so she never gets a sunburn.
Or perhaps, it might be because Miyamura always put sunscreen lotion on her. Tsubaki once heard Miyamura said, “I didn’t wait to see a young lady get a sunburn”. Seems like Miyamura had an ideal image of a young lady in her.
However, Tsubaki was also in shock because the image her parents have of her was some kind of wild girl.